Combined furnace and crucible



W. T. CARNES COMBINED FURNACE AND CRUCIBLE May 22, 1923.

' Filed July 29,

""'|||ll II III I will In!- mfilllllllllilllll Patented May 22, 1923.

WILLIAM T. CARNES, OF KANSAS CITY, IY'IISSOURI, ASSIG'NOR TO THE CARNES ARTIFICIAL LIMB COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

COMBINED FURNACE AND CRUCIBLE.

Application filed July 29, 1922. Serial No. 578,461.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WVILLI M T. CARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Furnaces and Crucibles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying-drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to combination of furnace and crucible for melting and pouring molten aluminum magna metal, and other like metals.

The object of this invention is to pro vide a crucible adapted to contain molten metal in a vertical column, and toprovide said crucible with a valved nozzle through which the molten metal may flow into the gate hole of the mold with suflicient pressure to insure the mold cavity being completely filled; also in providing suitable furnace to enclose the crucible which will maintain the molten metal at the proper temperature.

in the process or method of supplying molten metal to a mold.

These and other features of this invention will be hereinafter more particularly explained and pointed out and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 Figure 1, is a vertical central section of my combined furnace and crucible.

Figure 2, is a top or plan view thereof.

Figure 3, is a plan view of the top plate to be placed on the sand mold.

In these drawings A indicates a cylindri cal furnace shell which has a lining a of suitable non-conducting material, such as fire clay or asbestos.

The lower end of this furnace is provided with an opening A, which opening is provided with doors B which are hinged at the opposite sides thereof upon hinges 7). The doors B are provided with counter weights B which are adapted to maintain the doors B in a closed position as shown in Fig. 1.

Within the furnace shell A is a cylindrical crucible C which is suspended upon trunnions a which are pivoted in the forked end Another feature of this invention consists (Z of a lever D, which is fulcrumed upon a post D, so that by means of the lever D the crucible C can be lowered through the opening A in the lower end of the furnace A, so that the valved nozzle on the lower end of the crucible will project into the gate hole.

I also provide an arm E which has pivoted in the upper end thereof a latch-dog E adapted to engage the lever D whenit is in position shown in Fig. 1, and thereby maintain the crucible C in its uppermost position, as shown in said figure.

On the lower end of the crucible C there is a tapered nozzle C "which has acentral rpening therethrough. Within the crucible opening in said nozzle and prevent molten metal from passing therethrough. This valve F is provided with a valve stem F which extends out of the upper end of said crucible, where it is pivotally secured to a lever G which is pivoted on the post 0, on the upper end of the crucible C, by means of which lever G the valve F may be operated to permit molten metal to flow through the nozzle 0 as hereinafter described.

is a valve which is adapted to close the Secured to the furnace A are legs H, the

lower ends of which are secured to the baseplate H. I preferably use three legs H, leaving one side open to facilitate the placing of a mould under the crucible as hereinafter described. Under the furnace I place a mould platform J which is provided with an arm -J' having an opening in the end thereof through which one of the legs H extends, so that said plate can be swung upon said leg as upona pivot.

I also provide a brace J one end of which is secured to the plate J and the other end pivoted on the leg I-I. v This brace J 2 is provided with an adjusting screw j. The mould plate J is also provided with a handle J Upon the plate J I place the mould box K, the position thereof on the plate J being regulated by screw stops 7" so that the'mould box can be properly positioned under the crucible C.

Upon the upper surface of the mould I place a mould plate K, which is provided with a hole is (see Fig. 3) adapted to receive the tapered nozzle Cofthe crucible C; the nozzle C being tapered, fits into and closes the hole is in the mould cover K. The mould cover K I preferably secure in position on the mould sand by means of nails in, which project through suitable holes in the cover K and into the sand of the mould. This is a convenient manner of securing the plate K in position, with the hole in therethrough coinciding with the gate hole of the mould. When this mould box K is placed upon the plate J and swung into position under the crucible, the adjusting screws are adjusted to properly posi tion the mould box K to receive the nozzle C in the hole is of the cover plate K.

I also provide an adjusting screw 7' in the handle J to limit the movement of the mould plate J by engaging with one of the legs H as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation the crucible C isfilled with magnaanetal to be melted, and as said metal will burn when melted and exposed to the air the crucible C is provided with a cover c wvhich is secured in place by means of bolts 0 the valve stem F extending up wardly in an opening therethrough.

When using sand moulds the mould L is placed in a metal box II which strengthens the sand walls of the mould L. A metal plate K having a hole Z: therethrough to receive the tapered nozzle C is then placed upon the sand mould, and the nozzle is in serted in said hole thus effectually closing off the atmosphere fr m the molten metal, which will flow from the nozzle into the mould. lVhen the lever G is operated to lift the valve F molten metal will flow from the crucible into the mould cavity and will not take fire, but will at once cool and harden. This operation can be performed with the crucible and mould only, but I find it more convenient to use the combined furnace and crucible as shown and described in the drawings and specification. In that case the mould is placed upon the swinging table J and is then swung under the furnace A and the crucible C is lowered through the opening A until the nozzle closes the hole 70 in the cover plate K and the valve F is raised as described;

lVhen the mould is filled the valve is closed and the crucible is raised into the furnace, when the doors B automatically close the openingrr and themould table J is swung from under the furnace and a new mould substituted for the filled mould. This apparatus can also be used for die casting with equal facility. The furnace A is supplied with fluid fuel burners M which supply suflicient heat to melt the metal in the crucible C and maintain the same at the desired temperature. The weight of the column of metal in the crucible C gives sufficient pressure to force the metal into the cavities of the mould and fill out all of the irregularities ofthe same so that a perfect casting will result.

Having thus fully described my improved process for casting metal articles and suit able apparatus for practicing the same, I do not desire to be limited to the exact mechanism shown and described, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i v 1. In an apparatus of the class. described, a furnace chamber, means to heat the same, an opening in each end of said chamber, means to support said chamber in a vertical position, a crucible adapted to be inserted into the upper end of said furnace chamber and extend downwardly therein, means to suspend saidcrucible therein and lower the same through the opening in the lower end of said furnace chamber, a nozzle on the lower end of said crucible, a valve to control the opening through said nozzle,

and means to operate said valve.-

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a furnace chamber having openings in each end thereof, means to support the same in a raised vertical position, pivoted-self closing doors to close the opening in the lower end of said furnace chamber, an elongated cylindrical crucible adapted to contain molten metal suspended in said furnace, a cover secured on the upper'end thereof, a nozzle on the lower end thereof, a valve within said crucible adapted to closethe:

orifice of said nozzle, means to lower said crucible through the opening in the lower end of said furnace chamber and means to operate said valve. 3. In an apparatus of the class described,

a furnace having openings in thelower and upper ends thereof, a crucible suspended through the opening. in the upper end thereof, means to raise and lower said crucible, legs to support said furnace and a mould supporting plate pivoted on one of said legs adapted to be swung under said furnace and crucible.

In testimony whereof I affix ture. v

WILLIAM TQ CARNES.

my signa- 

